According to the Telegraph, Manchester United have warned Real Madrid that they cannot expect to sign goalkeeper David de Gea on the cheap after a report in the Daily Mail claimed that Rafael Benitez was poised to table a bid of just £13 million for the goalkeeper.

The Spaniard arrived at Old Trafford for a fee worth £17.8 million and if he is being sold this summer Manchester United ought to get some sort of profit on a deal regardless of there being just one-year remaining on his contract.

De Gea joined United in 2011 and was heavily criticised for minor faults made that came hand-in-hand with finding his footing in English football.

Four years on, however, he is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world - after progress made in Manchester under goalkeeping coaches such as Eric Steele, Chris Woods and Frans Hoek.

In Madrid long-serving Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas is considering a lucrative offer to leave the Santiago Bernabéu and play for Turkish club Fenerbahce, as per Fanatik, Madrid are confident that a deal can be struck with United for De Gea.

The Telegraph report suggests the Spanish club are preparing to formalise attempts to sign de Gea with their club president hoping to make a move for the 24-year-old this week, however they will be told any offer under £25 million will be rejected.

That is the sort of stance United need to have and not be pushed aside by Real Madrid. Six-years ago they lost Cristiano Ronaldo to Los Blancos for £80 million, which they cannot complain about, especially given that the Portuguese winger knew he was going but decided to give the club and Sir Alex Ferguson an extra year.

It does not look as though de Gea is patient enough to wait around another year.

Dale O’Donnell

Dale O’Donnell is a freelance journalist and founder of Manchester United blog Stretty News. He has previously conducted interviews with former footballers such as Gary Neville, Jason McAteer and Mikaël Silvestre. Dale’s work has been published on outlets such as the Guardian, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Sky Sports and more.